Switch for incandescent-lamp sockets.



W. A. MCDONALD.

SWITCH FOR INGANDESGENT LAMP SOGKETS.

APPLICATION FILED PEB.26, 1909.

941,941. Patented Nov. 30, 1909.

F J an l H I o i z Z J mjfi m 6 & g

I I; a WITNESSES f0 S l/VI/EIVTOR W1 14. W-GBOIV/ILD MW ATTORNEYS UNITEDSTATES PATENT ()FFICE.

WILL A. McDONALD, OF GRAMPIAN, PENNSYLVANIA.

SWITCH FOR INCANDESCENT-LAMP SOCKETS.

To all whom it may concern:-

lie it known that I, IVILL A. MCDONALD, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of (lrrampian, in the county of Clearfield and State ofPennsylvania, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Switchesfor Incandescent-Lamp Sockets, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in sockets for incandescentlamps, more particularly to means for turning off and on the current,and it consists in the constructions, combinations and arrangementshereinafter described and claimed.

. In the ordinary form of incandescent- "ockcts the current is turned onand oil by means of a key. This requires the use of both hands, one tosteady the lamp and the other to turn the key. Even then the lamp isturned in the direction of rotation and the strain comes upon thesuspending cord. Moreover, in the ordinary form the key may turn hardowing to the stiffness of the spring controlling the same and it mayturn past the point at which the current is permit-ted to enter the lampso that the lamp will be extinguished and the operation will have to begone through with again. Sometimes owing to the stifi'ness of thesprings the rubber thumb piece will break off. In the ordinary form alsoif the controlling springs are broken, the socket is rendered uselesssince it costs more to have the spring repaired than to buy a newsocket.

The main object of my invention is to provide a switch for anincandescent socket which may be easily operated, requiring a great dealless force to manipulate it than the ordinary key, and which can beoperated by one hand without straining the suspending cord.

A further object of my invention is to provide a switch which can beoperated as stated above and which positively eflects the connection orthe disconnection of the lighting current without the dangerof movementbeyond the proper place and thereby extin guishingthe lamp again.

A further object of my invention is to provide a switching device,which, while controlled by springs, may nevertheless be operated withoutthe springs, thus rendering the mechanism capable of use, where undersimilar circumstances the old form would be useless.

Other objects and advantages. will appear Specification of LettersPatent.

switching device hereinafter described.

Patented Nov. 30, 1909.

Application filed February 26, 1909. Serial No. 480,160.

from the following specification and the novel features of the devicewill be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure 1 shows a side view of a socket partly in section embodying myinvention.

Fig. 2 is a detail side view showing the operating parts of the switch.Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional View at, right angles to Fig. 2, andFi 4 is a. sectional view along the line 44 0t Fig. 2. i

In carrying out my invention I make use of an ordinary Edison socket,replacing the switch mechanism used therein by the In Fig. 1 I haveshown such a socket with my invention applied thereto. It comprises anouter shell 1 having an insulating lining 2 and the usual cap 3. Theinsulating block 4 within the cap is secured to the threaded sleeve 5,into which the base of thilamp is screwed. \Vithin'the hollow part 4 ofthe block 4, which is adapted to contain the switching mechanism of theordinary type, I arrange the switching device shown in Fig. 1.

The switching device consists of a frame member 6 bent intorectangularform at one end, see Fig. 4, one of the sides 6 beingprolonged as shown in Fig; 2. The top portion 6", see Figs. 2 and 4, isprovided with a downwardly-turned arm 6 near one end and a downwardlyturned ear 6 on its side, the latter constituting a binding member andbeing provided with a set screw 6 One end of the frame 6 is prolonged asshown at (S in Figs. 1 and 2, and to this prolongation is attached theinsulating handle G. \Vithin the rectangular part are pivoted two leversH and I upon the pivot pins 7L and 2', respectively. The form of thelever H is most clearly indicated in Figs. 1 and 2. It has a downwardlyextending end 7L2 which is adapted to form the contacting member for thecompletion of the electric circuit. This lever is guided between thedownwardly extending arm 6 and the side 6 of the frame 6 as shown inFigs. 1 and=-2. It is kept normally in an upper position shown in Fig.2, by means of the leaf spring h on its under side.

The lever I, which is pivoted to move at right angles to the lever H,also provided with a spring i which tends to force it into the positionshown in Fig. 3. The lever H end if of the lever H with the inwardlyprojecting flange 5 of the threaded sleeve 5. In the position shown inFig. 1, the handle K has been pressed toward the handle G,

this being done by a pinching action, thehandle G of course remainingstationary and acting as astationary resisting means for drawing thehandle K up to it. It Wlll be seen from Fig. 2 that the lever I cannotbe pressed forward by the spring as long as the lever H is in its upperposition, but as soon as it is forced downwardly, the lever I, under theinfluence of its spring i is forced above the lever H, as shown in Fig.1, thereby locking the latter in its shifted position, the levers H andI assuming the respective positions shown in Figs. 1 and 3. This resultsin the lighting of the lamp. It will be noted that in the shifting ofthese levers there is no twisting action but that equal force is appliedin opposite directions to the handles G and K. There is no tendencytherefore for the lamp to turn. Moreover, the force a plied isrelatively very small. Now when t e handles Grand L are brought togetherthe lever H is forced upwardly by the spring h thereby breaking thecircuit and extinguishing the lamp. In this case, as in the other, thehandle G acts as the resisting member, the handle L being brought up toit by a pinching action exerted on both of these handles.

It will be seen that the manipulation of the light may be accomplishedby means of one hand, that there is no danger ofmoving the parts beyondtheir operating positions, thereby extinguishing the lamp and that nostrain is put upon the suspending cord by the twisting action as in theordinary case.

I am aware that other forms of the device based upon the same generalidea might be made, but I consider as my own all such modifications asfairly fall within the splrit and scope of the invention.

I claim y 1. A switch for incandescent lamp sockets, comprising -'aframe having a stationary handle and two movable handles, means forcompleting the electric circuit by forcing one of said movable handlestoward said handle and a pair of laterally lnovable handles, and meansadapted for completing the electric circuit when one of said movablehandles is forced toward the stationary handle by a pinching action andfor breaking the circuit when the stationary handle and the other ofsaid movable handles are forced together. I

3. A switch for incandescent sockets conprising a stationary frameprovided with a projecting handle, a pair of levers pivotally mounted insaid frame at right angles to each other and provided with handles ontheir projecting ends, one of said levers constituting a contact memberand arranged to be locked in its operative position by a movement of theother lever.

4. A switch for incandescent sockets, comrisin a stationar frame memberrovided with an extending handle, a pair of levers I other lever whenthe latter is moved, thereby locking the same in its shifted position.

5. A switch for incandescent sockets, comprising a frame having aprojecting handle and a downwardly projecting arm constituting a guidemember, a lever pivoted within said frame and having a bent end adaptedfor movement between said arm and the main frame, a second lever pivotedwithin said frame at right angles to the first-named lever, each of saidlevers being actuated by springs, handles for said levers, the aboveparts being so arran 'ed that when one of the lever handles is forcedtoward the stationary handle the other lever springs -into the path andlocks the first-named lever in its shifted position.

WILL A. MCDONALD.

Witnesses: I

HUBERT H. BAUMGARDNER, CHESTER DOUGIIMAN.

